Ms Hodge has answered my MP's letter, She believes that the recent consultation was adequate.
She says:
".... Mr Harritt also makes the point that the consultation exercise on the draft regulations and guidance did not meet the guidance in the Code of Practice on Consultation. I am unable to accept this point. First, the Code of Practice requires that we consult widely through out [sic] the process, allowing a minimum twelve weeks for written consultation. The consultation period on the access to information proposals totaled four months and the document was made widely available through the adoption website, the DfES e-consultation site and in hard copy format. Second, the consultation document also received significant media coverage through the national press, television and radio as well as in the relevant professional journals. I do however admit that some stakeholders experienced delays in obtaining hard copies of the consultation document and officials have pursued these complaints with the department's distribution company, Prolog. Where there was a significant delay in obtaining a hard copy of the document, we allowed stakeholders to submit their consultation responses beyond the deadline date of 31 July.
As I am sure Mr Harritt will appreciate, the access to information provisions represent one of the most complex and emotive areas of the Adoption and Children Act. That is why we need the input of stakeholders to help shape the final document and ensure it is clear, concise and workable. I am satisfied that any person with an interest in adoption was given ample opportunity to submit their views. We received a large number of responses from a wide range of people involved in adoption - including adoption professionals, adopted people, adoptive parents and birth relatives. We are now looking carefully at the comments and suggestions that have been submitted as work is taken forward to finalise the regulations and guidance by the end of this year. We will be providing feedback on those responses as required by the Code of Practice...."
If anyone disagrees with Ms Hodge that this has been an adequate consultation or that it has complied with the Code of Practice which was outlined at the end of the Feedback form for the consultation, (and the same applies to the consultation on Adoption Support Survives and Adoption Support Agencies Regulations) please make your views known to Ms Margaret Hodge MP at
dfes.ministers@dfes.gsi.gov.uk and if you feel inclined to make a formal complaint about just how poor the consultations have been then you can make a formal complaint in the first instance to:
David Holmes, Divisional Manager,
DfES, Looked After Children Division
Room 101 Wellington House,
133-155 Waterloo Road,
London SE1 8UG.
Perhaps then she will take another look at their definition of "stakeholders in adoption" various social work organisations may well have been given a say, few of us who are genuinely affected by this legislation have been.
Robin Harritt
http://harritt.net